This application claims priority benefit to the German application Serial No. 10051655.6, filed Oct. 18, 2000.
The invention pertains to a conveyor apparatus for transporting objects, having a continuous circulating guided conveyor line with drivers arranged at intervals.
Conveyor devices of this sort with drivers are used, for example, in the food industry, for sealing previously filled bowls, where the individual bowls must be fed to a sealing apparatus always at the same intervals. The sealing apparatus seals the bowls by groups, for example 4 bowls in each working cycle. The drivers ensure that the bowls will remain at a fixed distance from each other even if the conveyor line, for example a conveyor belt, is soiled and slippery from contact with the food which is being packaged.
Such conveyor devices have proven inherently successful in practice, but they have the disadvantage that a change in the interval between the drivers, such as is necessary for example when other sealing devices or other objects are used, involve a relatively great effort, in that the individual drivers have to be detached from the conveyor line and attached again at different positions.
The task of the invention consists in improving a conveyor apparatus of this sort in such a way that the change in interval between the drivers can be carried out more easily.
This task is solved, in accordance with the invention, by means of a conveyor apparatus for transporting objects, having a continuous circulating guided conveyor line with drivers arranged at intervals. A distinguishing feature is that the conveyor line is made up of individual continuous circulating guided lines each having drivers arranged at intervals. With the individual lines adjustable relative to each other with respect to their circulating positions, the intervals between the drivers of different lines can be adjusted simultaneously.
Preferably, the individual lines are constituted of chains.
The design can call for the drivers on the individual lines to be held adjustably in the transport direction.
Preferably, the apparatus is designed so that the drivers of each individual line are arranged at fixed intervals from each other, especially uniform intervals.
Preferably, the drivers have driver strips which extend across all of the individual lines transversely to the transport direction.
The design can have an equal number of drivers arranged on each individual line.
In a preferred implementation form, provision is made for all of the individual lines to be guided over an adjusting roller made of guide wheels positioned side-by-side. These can be adjustable to different rotational positions relative to each other, each of which receives one individual line. At the same time, provision can be made for the guide wheels to be driven sprocket wheels. The guide wheels can be infinitely adjustable relative to each other, or can have stepwise detents. The adjusting roller can be designed as a guide roller and/or as a driving device.
Particularly for use in the field of food, provision can be made for the chains to be made entirely or partially of plastic. The chains can be made of interlocking links of one-piece design, each having a pin section with two cylindrical pins and a forked receptacle section with holes to receive the pins.
Each chain link can have a meshing projection which intermeshes positively with a drive wheel.
Preferably, the chain links have straight top edges or flat top sides, so that they form flat positioning surfaces for objects which are to be transported.
The design can call for the driver strips to be made in a single piece with a chain link.